Always & Forever
by Razzella
Summary: "I may not seem it," I snipped, casting a small grin over my shoulder as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "But I do believe I'm smart enough not to fall for your charms, Mr. Mikaelson." Kol didn't respond at first, though as I began walking back towards my home, I could hear his laughter bubbling up; in another few steps he had linked our arms again.


Mystic Falls, 1868

 _To say I hated Katherine Peirce would be an understatement. She was manipulative, and conniving, and snarky; I had hated everything about her. Her hair was always perfectly curled and her dresses were always prettier than mine, and everyone else seemed to adore her for whatever reason. Including my brothers, and when it came out she was a vampire, they'd been killed right along with her. It had been four years since then – at the time I'd been a child, barely thirteen – and the wounds of losing my older brothers had been deeper than one could imagine. But now I was a young woman who had licked those wounds clean and carried on, just as I had been raised to do. Being the last child of my fathers, it was natural he would try to shelter me from harm. He'd become withdrawn, but was no less protective than the years prior. I believe he was still mourning the loss of his heirs, which was probably why he didn't initially notice the new family that came into town._

 _Mystic Falls had become more guarded after the vampire incident, so of course new settlers caught the eye of just about everyone in town. The founding families were particularly wary of any newcomers, after the terrible incident with Katherine slithering in through the cracks of our compassion. But then I met them, and while I wasn't the most guarded person in town, I was by far the most reclusive. It had been chalked up to my brothers' deaths, but even before I had tended to shy into their shadows, only adding the minimal amount of commentary to appear polite. They were at the Founders Day Ball, which just so happened to be the first public appearance my father had made that year, and it appeared there were four of them. I eavesdropped on their conversations to catch their names while being escorted through the party on my father's arm. It was an unusual occurrence, but I couldn't help but think if I wasn't in eyesight, he may have had an episode._

 _Rebekah was the girl, who appeared only a bit older than me. Her golden hair was a stark contrast to my own dark brown locks, though our skin shared the same porcelain look. We briefly made eye contact and I offered a small smile before I turned my attention elsewhere. The next I noticed was Kol. Well, more that he seemed to notice me, to be frank, and my grip on my father's arm grew a bit tighter. His eyes and hair were brown in shade, but his eyes seemed darker in a very primal way; the smirk he gave me only solidified my belief that I should be wary of him._

 _Niklaus and Elijah were less intimidating, though not by much. One shared uncanny similarities with Kol, and the other favored his sisters' lighter appearance. Once I had familiarized myself with their appearance, it was easy enough to put them from my mind. Curiosity killed the cat, after all, and I wouldn't risk befalling the same fate as my brothers. Their curiosity about Katherine had led them astray, and I was not going to mingle with the newcomers until it was confirmed they were safe. That was what I told myself, anyway; the reality was that my casual glances had been noticed by Rebekah and Kol, and the latter made a point of approaching me._

" _Good evening," The words were directed at me, and I tried not to smile when my father tensed at the sheer audacity of the man. "I'm Kol Mikaelson." He extended his hand for me to take, but the move was quickly intercepted by my father, who pulled him into a handshake. I did smirk then, covering my amusement with a casual glance away from the scene._

" _Giuseppe Salvatore," His gruff voice hinted at his displeasure at not being addressed first, but personally I found myself flattered. "And my daughter, Margaret." I did a mocking curtsy at the brisk introduction, my smirk unwavering even as Kols eyes narrowed thoughtfully. After a moment, his eyes sparkled in what I recognized as mischief – Damon and Stefan had a similar gleam any time they were up to no good that father never seemed to notice – before he shifted his attention fully to Giuseppe._

" _May I ask your daughter to dance?" It sounded mocking. I glanced up at my father, schooling my amusement into a small smile as he gazed down at me thoughtfully before grunting._

" _Certainly, if she so wishes." I hadn't really wanted to, but the way his dark eyes had shot to me at that had stalled my polite refusal. My heart fluttered just slightly as nerves suddenly hit me, and I found myself covering them with a grin._

" _I would love to."_

Xxx

San Francisco, 2010

My eyes snapped open as the dream passed, wondering why exactly I was thinking about it anymore. Kol had been gone for years, and I certainly hadn't wasted my eternity waiting around for him. I rubbed my eyes as the throbbing in my head threatened to worsen before eyeing the bodies lying about. I didn't know which were alive and which were dead, but it really didn't matter. All of them had been compelled to forget me the evening before, so rather than fret over it I stumbled out of the room. It wasn't even mine; I flashed down the hallway and into my hotel room, locking the door behind me.

That dance had been the first step to many. I spent a year buddying up with the Mikaelson family, unaware of what they were, before everything went to shit again. My father had tried to arrange a marriage between me and Kol – that I was admittedly unopposed to – but it had never come to fruition before he was murdered. I often wondered if an original vampire would even _want_ to marry, despite our obvious connection. It had been clear that he treated me differently than others, but that was probably just because I didn't immediately fall for his charm. I stripped out of my bloodied clothes, tossing them in the sink before turning to the shower, eager to get the dried mess off of me.

My phone was buzzing obnoxiously, but I ignored it in favor of getting clean. Not many people bothered ringing me up outside of Katherine – who I had been furious about surviving, initially, but after she explained my brothers were alive, we'd left the past in the past – and the occasional one from Stefan or Damon. I'd tracked them down a few years after it was revealed they were alive, and we'd kept in touch for the most part, though it was clear none of us really agreed with the other half the time. Stefan's ripper phase had been a blast until Lexi came swaggering in and ruined our fun together; after that, I couldn't stand being around his constant brooding. Damon tended to prefer going solo on most things, and though I knew he loved me to pieces, we didn't quite see eye-to-eye on the whole "overprotective brother" thing.

I stepped out of the shower a while later, glancing down at my phone to see several missed calls from Stefan, which earned a deep sigh. He was probably in some drama again, and I really hated stepping into his drama. After a moment of debate, I dressed quickly and tossed my clothes into the hamper, sprawling out on my mattress before pressing the device to my ear, waiting for the obnoxious ringing noise to give way to his equally obnoxious broody voice.

" _Finally. Do you just not know how to answer your phone, Maggie?"_ I scoffed at his tone, rolling my eyes.

" _What do you need, Stef?"_ I got straight to the point, eyeing the cracks of the roof. The hotel wasn't very run down, but it was pretty seedy, which made it much easier to slip in and out without much trouble.

" _I'm hiding some coffins, and I could use the backup for negotiations. I'll tell you more when you get here."_ I laughed, grinning at his assumption I would skip along to his rescue. Though, it had been a few years since we'd seen each other, so maybe it wouldn't be that bad if I helped him handle some of his business.

" _I'm assuming you're in Mystic Falls?"_ Katherine had mentioned seeing them there some time ago before she slipped back into hiding, and while the tip had been appreciated, when I heard that Klaus was there, I had opted to stay put in California – as far as I could rationally get without outright leaving the country.

" _The one and only."_ I promptly hung up, not needing to waste time on goodbyes. It didn't take me long to secure a plane ticket across the country, though it probably should have. I couldn't help but marvel how far technology had come recently.

Xxx

Mystic Falls, 1868

" _You drink vervain?" He sounded surprised with this news. I was walking through the gardens with Kol, though the whole ordeal was a bit nerve-wracking. I actually had a fondness for the man, despite my best efforts to contain such ideas, and it had been rather easy to slip into a companionship with him._

" _My father insists." I shrugged, shifting my grip on his arm slightly. It was always hard to lie to him. He seemed to catch even the slightest shift in tone or the smallest fidget; it didn't help that I wasn't a particularly good liar to begin with. But the council had decided not to send anyone into a panic again, with the convenient cover for their round up four years ago, and now insisting on putting the vervain in their food and drink. Those who were unaware of the threat simply had their drinks spiked with the herb, or were gifted lovely jewelry with it hidden inside._

" _My mother worked at an apothecary before her passing," Kol started slowly, and I perked up slightly, glancing up at him. "She warned that ingesting it too often could have harmful side effects, though I was too young to question what they were." That was news to me. My heart skipped a beat and I tried to push my discomfort away by lazily stroking his arm. It was an absentminded motion, though I didn't miss the way his eyes fixated on it briefly._

" _Hmm. I'll be sure to mention that to him." I was a bit surprised when we came to a halt, with him turning to face me completely. My surprise only magnified when his hands gently ran up my neck before cupping my face; his eyes locking with mine. I was certain he could hear my heartbeat pounding against my ribs from the slow grin that split his face. Or perhaps it was the blush adorning my cheeks at the action that amused him._

 _Kol was always very confident in himself, and it wasn't lost on me that he had charmed many women besides myself in our little town. Part of me wanted to think I was special, but the other part – that was much more guarded against such feelings – managed to keep those idealistic dreams at bay. But when he was looking at me like that, it was hard not to imagine it was so. His thumbs traced along my cheekbones affectionately and I cracked a small smile, forcing myself not to divert my eyes from his. The longing to reach up and pull him into a kiss was strong, but I refrained; rather than let myself appear the blushing mess I currently was, I carefully pulled away from his touch. His eyebrows rose in surprise, and for a moment I thought he may be offended, but his grin only grew as I turned and began walking once more._

" _I may not seem it," I snipped, casting a small grin over my shoulder as he tucked his hands into his pockets. "But I do believe I'm smart enough not to fall for your charms, Mr. Mikaelson." Kol didn't respond at first, though as I began walking back towards my home, I could hear his laughter bubbling up; in another few steps he had linked our arms again._

Xxx

Mystic Falls, 2010

Being home always sucked. I had pulled up to the house with a huff, brushing my bangs from my face. I had traded my dark curls for a stylish bob, and my corsets and dresses for jeans and leather jackets. But no matter how much I changed, being in this town always brought out the nervous, insecure girl I had been before meeting Kol Mikaelson. I had resisted the urge to flash out to where our house once stood as I reminisced about my mortal life. I'd been the one who put in the word we should consume vervain less, and while Kol had never compelled me, it had put the town in a dangerous situation. My naivety and willingness to trust the attractive man had been the problem that time; suddenly I was much more sympathetic with my brothers plight.

"And you're positive you want to do this?" I had triple checked with Stefan, tapping my fingers against the steering wheel with a huff. And he had assured me that he absolutely did, which was why I was currently leaning against the wall as Klaus manhandled him, sipping wine. Rather than stepping in to rescue my very weak older brother, I just smirked behind the rim of my glass. Though I had forgiven them for essentially abandoning me for Katherine's games once I had a taste first hand at the temptations vampires presented, I always felt they got off a bit easier than I would have preferred. So perhaps that was why I was taking so much satisfaction in the current scene. It would also be why I initially didn't notice Elijah had returned with more than Damon, but when I did, I was quick to move across the room and very much out of the way.

"Seriously, you didn't even try to step in?" Damon grumbled as Stefan and him joined me out of the way, and I couldn't help but smirk.

"So I'm still a bit bitter – bite me." I snickered for a moment as I set my glass on the table. Glancing up at the newcomers to the room I forgot to breathe. He didn't notice me – presumably his rage with Klaus was the only thing on his mind, and I couldn't say I blamed him – but his voice was still enchanting and I was transported 150 years into the past at the sound of it. For a moment I was grateful I had so drastically changed my appearance over the years, because if he had approached me I might have fainted outright. But my gawking seemed to catch my own brothers attention as the original siblings all reunited; I was the first to flee the house when Elijah dismissed us.

I let Damon drive, instead hoping into the backseat to plot what exactly I should do now. The last time I had seen Kol hadn't exactly went well, seeing as I'd flipped the switch and bolted on him before he could compel me to forget ever meeting him. It hadn't been pretty; I'd managed to seduce him into one more kiss somehow and just snapped his neck and ran like a bat out of hell. I think the only reason I got away with it was because he was just as selfish as I was – he didn't really want me to forget him – so instead of hunting me down to finish the job he let me go and ran with his family. The sting of the argument before, added to him trying to leave me had been the snapping point for me, and I spent the next twenty five years an emotionless bitch.

"So are you going to explain why you were ogling Klaus's brother, or are we just going to pretend we didn't catch you eye fucking the guy?" Damons snarky voice caught my attention and I glared, opening my mouth to snarl out an insult.

"Or we could not do this whole 'family drama' thing right now." Stefan snapped for me, and I closed my mouth with a sigh.

"Kol turned me, and that's all I'm saying about it." I muttered, turning my attention out the window, watching the trees pass by as we went.

Xxx

Mystic Falls, 1868

" _You're a vampire." It had been a complete accident. I wasn't supposed to find out; I could tell from the slight snarl of frustration I got in return for my quiet realization. He ran his fingers through his hair and I tried to ignore the veins that had appeared under his eyes. My heart was pounding against my ribs and I knew he was debating what exactly to do with me as he closed his eyes. But I was currently bleeding rather profusely from my leg and I couldn't help but wonder how it was I was alive, if vampires were monsters unable to resist the pull of blood. After a long moment, the veins under his eyes faded and he turned to me, practically glaring. It wasn't as if I_ meant _to get my leg sliced open on my tumble out of the carriage. I wasn't even sure how exactly the carriage had toppled over, much less how I got injured._

" _Shit!" Kol cursed, looking away from me again before hissing between his teeth and kneeling in front of me. I flinched at the quick movements, and he noticed, which only seemed to agitate him further. I had been in the process of moving out of Mystic Falls to live with my aunt. After my father's murder, I had nowhere else to go, so I'd decided it was best I leave to live with my only remaining family._

" _You weren't supposed to find out like this." He finally spoke to me before glancing down at my injured leg. His nostrils flared as the veins appeared again before he bit into his own wrist and shoved it rather forcefully into my mouth, holding me in place. "It'll heal you, darling, just relax. I'm not going to hurt you." My struggles had been weak initially, but it was difficult to find the strength to struggle as he murmured to me soothingly and stroked my hair._

" _There's my good girl; you're safe with me, Margaret." The coppery taste gave way to something else, and to my great horror – and his surprise, apparently – I let out a low groan of approval. It was the sweetest thing I had ever tasted in my life. My wound healing faded to the back of my mind as I was suddenly absorbed in this taste; this need to have more of his blood. I didn't even notice my hands curling around his wrist to hold him to me, though it didn't do much good, and he pulled it away from me rather easily. My first reaction was irritation, but when I saw the awed look on his face, dread settled into my stomach._

" _Well, well," Kol spoke first, covering his surprise with his normal arrogant smirk. "You didn't strike me as the type, sweetheart." I didn't bother questioning him in the moment; the shock and horror still predominantly on my mind. There were hundreds of questions running through my mind, but none of them seemed to make it to my mouth, and it was only when I felt his lips press gently against mine that I realized everything that had just happened was very, very real. The soft whimper I released was partly in horrified disgust – his blood was coating my mouth and chin rather grotesquely, and I'd just discovered he was a vampire, after all – and partly pleasure that I didn't want to admit to having._

 _His tongue ran across my lips, lapping up the taste of his own blood before pushing on into my mouth; my fingers ended up tangling into his hair before I realized I was actively participating in the kiss. He pulled away slowly, meeting my eyes for a moment as our breath mingled before running gentle kisses along my jaw. It had barely registered he was kissing my neck before a sharp pain made me yelp in distress. But then it was all pleasure, in the most carnal of ways. I wanted to be terrified. I wanted to trash and kick and scream. I wanted to fight it. Except the pull of blood from my neck was sending waves of_ need _through my entire body, and the way Kols fingers were running along whatever exposed skin he could touch was making me feel hot in an unfamiliar way. I wasn't even aware of my quiet moans of approval or my needy squirming against him until he pulled away and our current position was revealed to me._

 _My dress was hiked up my legs, and his knee was precariously high between my thighs – which were squeezing his leg rather tightly – while he leaned over me. We'd ended up with my back pressed against the grass just off the road, his body hovering over mine barely inches apart with my hands still resting at the base of his neck. I was delirious from the blood loss, surely, because for just the briefest moments, my blood on his mouth didn't seem disgusting at all; I found the next kiss we shared initiated by me. Most woman may have been agitated that their first kiss was rather bloody and messy, but at the time I felt so amazing I couldn't even hope to describe it._

" _Kol." I whimpered in disapproval when he pulled away from me, leaving me a panting, needy mess underneath him as our eyes met. He pressed his forehead to mine, taking a deep breath as if to control himself._

" _I should get you home."_

Xxx

Mystic Falls, 2010

"Maggie–"

"–I am getting out of this stupid town, and you'd be smart to do the same before it traps you and you end up dead like everyone else." All for stupid _Elena_. At least Katherine owned up to being a shady, manipulative bitch. Elena did it pretending to give a damn about everyone else, when the reality was that she couldn't care less. Because if she _did_ , she would have handed herself over to Klaus and died off. Instead she's still alive and kicking, somehow, and its 1864 all over again with my brothers. But this time, I don't have to sit back and watch it. I could go anywhere in the world to get away, and if their decisions damned them, that was their problem.

"Don't you think your being just a _bit_ dramatic?" Damon whined as I tossed my bag into the trunk of my car before I turned to glare at him.

"No, I don't. I think you're too stupid to realize you're actually in danger. Because, and just to recap, you pissed off Klaus, and _now_ the literal Original Witch is inviting us to a party – how she even knew I was here is beyond me in the first fucking place – and you're just going to walk into that." I pointed my finger at his chest, managing to push him back a bit with the force of it. I was terrified, and furious, and confused; maybe running was self-serving, but I wasn't up for risking death just because of who I was related to.

"Klaus is her _child._ Families typically don't set out to hurt each other; I highly doubt your precious _Elena_ is going to meet her and come up with a way to get rid of him." I knew that out of everyone, Damon agreed the most. We were both suspicious by nature, and rightly so, but, just like years ago, he was caught up in some _girl_ and he would be who paid the price for her bullshit.

"But don't you want to reunite with _your sire_ , baby sister?" I did want that. More than I could ever hope to properly convey. So instead of agreeing, I grabbed my brother by his throat and shoved my hand into his chest. Gripping his heart, I snarled, unmoving as he squirmed and tried to breathe properly.

"You don't know a damn thing about Kol," I hissed, watching as his wide eyes with a twisted sense of satisfaction. I wouldn't actually hurt him, but he didn't need to know that. "And I'm not in the greatest mood to even begin discussing _my sire_ with you, so why don't you just shut your mouth for once and listen when someone gives you good advice." The squelch of me pulling my hand out of his chest didn't faze me as I turned to my vehicle, flashing over to it and closing the back door loudly. Naturally, that would be when a car pulled into the drive; I rolled my eyes when Elena came sprinting out of it. I had never actually met the girl, but I'd heard many stories about her and her misadventures that put literally everyone else in danger. For a moment I debated just snapping her neck then and there, but ultimately refrained when she turned her angry and confused eyes on me.

Hoping into my vehicle, I drove off, opting to make a stop off at Mystic Grill and say goodbye to Stefan. Apparently he liked to sit around and brood over liquor all hours of the day, but maybe if I extended the invitation to him to run like hell he'd go with. He seemed like he'd be more fun this time around anyway. It was easy enough to spot him, though I was surprised he was actually playing pool rather than being moody like Damon led me to believe he had been being. Stefan glanced my direction as I approached, admittedly missing the pair of eyes watching me from the bar.

"I came to say bye," I started, and he nodded slightly. "You're more than welcome to tag along if you promise not to do the whole dark and broody vegetarian thing." I added, which led to us exchanging smirks. It was clear from the fact he shook his head at my joke he was going to decline. I'd heard his emotions had gotten shut off at some point, but honestly I hadn't been around enough to tell the difference anymore.

"I take it you're still drinking from the vein then." He teased and I rolled my eyes, stuffing my hands into my coat pockets.

"I just can't make myself drink from bunnies – too barbaric, y'know – though I do really appreciate the effort in trying to do the whole ripper detox thing to me." Stefan groaned at the mention and I laughed at the memory. Sometime in the fifties he'd enlisted Lexi to try and get me to stop hunting so brutally, and it had _not_ worked out well for them. They caught me once, but I managed to weasel my way out of it and take off before they could finish the job. I hadn't talked to him for ages after that whole thing, though I did tone it down, if only to avoid being back on their radar.

"You're not going to stick around for the ball, at least? We might need the backup." I huffed, running my fingers through my hair with a scowl pulling at my lips.

"Which one of your will have Elena on their arm, by the way? Or is it more of a Katherine thing going on, because she seemed pretty upset when she caught me with my hand in Damon's chest." I shifted the subject away from me and he seemed to catch on, snorting out a laugh at my question.

"Why were you threatening him this time?" It was crazy how being a vampire numbed you to some of the atrocious things we'd do to one another. Like me threatening to rip Damon's heart out, or him staking Stefan, or Stefan trying to burn the ripper out of me. But none of us really meant any of it, in the end. We were family. A very dysfunctional family, but family nonetheless.

"You know how short tempered I can be when Damon starts poking fun."

"Oh, so he brought up the whole 'you being turned by Kol' thing, right?" I narrowed my eyes, shifting uncomfortably on my feet. "How did that happen, anyway?" I hesitated, debating if I wanted to bother with the story, before shrugging my shoulders. I really needed to get out of this town before I got caught up in the drama around here again.

Xxx

Mystic Falls, 1868

" _What's wrong with me?" I wrapped my arms around my knees, seated on my bed. The Salvatore house was emptier than it had ever been, though Kol had been making an effort to keep me company. His company usually instigated me practically begging for him to feed me his blood, which then led to me sitting in numb disbelief and disgust when the high finally wore off. If anything, this only amused the vampire more, since we were apparently connected the more we shared our blood with one another. I hadn't wanted to form the stupid blood bond, but resisting was the most painful thing I had ever experienced in my life. Kol wasn't very forthcoming with the details of why this was, either, so the whole thing was fairly stressful._

" _Nothing's wrong with you, sweetheart," He was smirking as he spoke, but then he flashed behind me, holding me against his chest with his legs on either side of me. "You're going to be fine. We're just having a bit of fun." I wanted to contest that, but he was running his fingers through my hair soothingly and I couldn't seem to find the words. I had adored him before the truth about his heritage came out and even now those feelings lingered, however now there was the fear as well. I was absolutely terrified of Kol Mikaelson; sometimes part of me wanted to run to the council and tell them of what he was. I'd tried to muster up the strength to do so, but it never seemed to work out for me. There was always a painful pull telling me not to – convincing me it would be the wrong thing to do._

" _Do you love me?" I don't know why I asked. I suppose because I could_ feel _him. I could feel his intense physical sensations – I learned this rather embarrassing after trying to explain the white-hot surge of pleasure I'd felt one evening many weeks ago, and he'd laughed himself to tears before mockingly explaining the pleasures of the flesh – and his feelings. I knew when he was angry, or sad, or happy, and when those feelings mingled with my own, it made it difficult to distinguish where I ended and he started. I didn't miss the way his body tensed behind me, though his soothing movements didn't pause. I allowed myself to melt into him, resting my head against his chest as he tried to find a response._

" _As much as I am capable of for a human." I hummed softly in acknowledgement, feeling bittersweet at the soft admittance._

" _What if I wasn't human?" Kol did stop petting me then, and I could feel his eyes burning into my face, despite my eyes having been closed for a while. Before he could answer, I sensed we were no longer alone in the room, and I flinched when I realized it was his family. Niklaus, specifically, who was very charming and almost kind at times, though this didn't seem to be one of them._

" _Katerina is alive and well; we're leaving tonight to continue searching for her." I felt Kols anger – his desire to protest, I imagined, or his frustration that his brother seemed to always order him around – and squirmed slightly in his possessive embrace._

" _So I would suggest tying up any loose ends, brother." There was a pointed look at me and my heart stopped for a moment, but then the man was gone and I knew we were alone when Kol relaxed. The silence was deafening between us as he began running his fingers through my hair once more, seeming deep in thought._

" _I suppose we're just going to have to find out, won't we, darling?" He finally said, and I wanted to turn to look at him, but he held me more firmly. In the next moment his soothing strokes had shifted to my neck, tracing gentle patterns along my skin before there was a sharp tug, and my world turned black._

Xxx

Mystic Falls, 2010

"Ouch." Stefan commented once I'd given him the basic story, and I snorted in laughter, shrugging a bit sheepishly. It was a wonder I hadn't ended up sired to him, but over the years he'd guessed that my fear of him had managed to outweigh my love enough to keep the bond from forming. Unfortunately, our blood bond hadn't wavered at all, and it wasn't until he'd tried abandoning me and I shut my feelings off that the connection faded away – though when I became a vampire, the whole thing was much more pleasurable than it was when I was human.

"It didn't even hurt." I scoffed. "At least I wasn't gunned down acting like a fool." I teased, grinning when my brothers eyes narrowed slightly.

"No, you just got yourself tangled up with the original family and got turned coming down from a blood high – so much more dignified." We snickered together. Being human had had many great things to offer, but looking back on our own naivety was just funny a hundred years later. Ignorance to the supernatural was both a blessing and a curse for those who end up getting sucked into that world, especially in the beginning.

"Anyway, Stef, I'm leaving; try not to get yourself killed." I normally would have hugged him, but with his new and improved personality, the urge to do so just wasn't there. So instead, I turned on my heel and prepared to exit the Mystic Grill for what was hopefully the last time. Of course, that was when I noticed him, and everything in me screamed to throw myself into his arms and blubber about how much I'd missed him. Luckily, I'd learned how to control those urges pretty successfully over the years, so instead of approaching Kol and Klaus Mikaelson at the bar – because he hadn't approached me, and if he _wanted_ to speak to me, I knew he would – I gave a two fingers salute of acknowledgement with a small grin. Kols eyes narrowed dangerously in response, and I took that as my cue to get the Hell out of there.

He was probably over me. I mean, I had been a fun companion for him for the few years we were together, but he was an Original. He had probably turned hundreds of girls in his time living to keep around then dispose of; I tried to contain my hurt at the idea he just didn't want me anymore. I was lucky he hadn't just killed me to be rid of me, right? No need to get all emotional about it. Naturally, I didn't hear him coming – being too tangled up in my flurry of emotions – when I was suddenly grabbed and drug into an alley, but the moment my back hit brick I was staring into those dark eyes that had gotten me into trouble in the first place. There was a moment we were just staring at one another before his lips were on mine, hungry and demanding as I remembered them. I moaned in relief, grabbing the collar of his jacket and tugging him impossibly closer as he deepened the kiss; his hands wrapped around my thighs and I squeaked slightly when he lifted me up, stepping closer as my legs curled around his waist. You never realize how much you miss someone until they're with you again, I suppose. When he pulled away I let out a low growl of frustration that earned me a devious smirk from my favorite original.

"Kol." I don't know why we were panting from the kiss – we didn't _need_ to breathe – but we were, and I was flustered when his name came out a soft whimper.

"You didn't think I'd let you get away that easily, did you, darling?" I was smug that he sounded slightly hoarse and traced patterns against his neck as I grinned at him. He had yet to release me from my position against the wall, legs coils around his waist, though I could feel the way his hands were rubbing higher and higher up my thighs.

"I missed you." I blurted out instead of something witty like I'd planned. His expression softened just slightly before his lips met mine again in a gentle kiss. Kol was never one for verbal expression, which was fine by me half the time. Though being away from someone for so long, I couldn't help the slight longing of some reassurance from him. Something more to soothe my insecurity – I wanted him to tell me he still wanted me. That he still loved me.

"I don't plan on leaving you again anytime soon, Maggie." I let out a soft sigh of relief, pressing my forehead to his as I cupped his face in my hands.

"Promise?" We smirked at one another, both keen on lightening the mood. It wouldn't do to have a heavy reunion when we were both such light-hearted people. At least, that's how we appeared to most people.

"Promise." With that out of the way, he dropped me and I was lucky enough to plant my feet on the ground in time not to fall over. Giving him a light shove, he snickered in amusement before throwing an arm around my shoulders.

"Now, what's this nonsense about you running off?" I groaned exaggeratedly, rolling my eyes a bit. However, I did remember the impending sense of doom that his resurrected mother gave me, and that sobered me up pretty quickly. I didn't trust her – I barely trusted anyone in Kols family outside of him, though maybe Rebekah as well – so maybe I was a bit biased.

"Anyone with any sense would take off with your family hanging around," I commented, glancing at him with a small, teasing grin. "But mostly because I don't trust your mother." I admitted. There were very few secrets between Kol and I through our relationship – even before he turned me – so while I wasn't nervous about my words, I did wonder how he personally felt. Perhaps I should have waited before voicing an opinion.

"I don't either." The words were soft; glancing up I saw his expression was distant. We walked around the town square casually, basking in each other's closeness quietly.

"We should go." Kol finally broke the quiet, and I felt relief flood through me at that. I didn't want to be trapped in this town with nothing but doppelganger drama and ancient vampires and witchy plots. His arm pulled me closer and he kissed the top of my head lightly before spinning around to stand in front of me. His normal smirk was there, and I couldn't help but share the look as he laced his fingers with mine, leaning down to kiss me again. I tried to ignore the feeling of our bond tickling at the back of my mind, desperate to reconnect, but after the kiss broke apart I shuddered at the sensation. The tingling feeling was slowly running through my limbs, warming me as I squirmed a bit. We weren't exactly alone, given that it was still pretty early in the morning, but the urge to sink my fangs into him was growing with every passing second.

Luckily, he seemed to be having a similar problem, so I dragged him off to my car. I wasn't sure where exactly I had been _planning_ on going, but us ending up the next down over hadn't taken much thought before we bolted to the nearest hotel. After some compulsion and hunting down our room, I'd been pinned to the wall again; it didn't take long before we were practically ripping each other's clothes off.

"I've been dying to do this since I saw you the night I woke up." Kol admitted with a groan as my fingers clawed lightly at his back, and I shuddered, arching into him as my shirt was shredded from my body, leaving me slightly pouty that he'd ruined one of my favorite shirts. That feeling quickly faded when his fangs sank into my neck, making me moan softly as his hands wandered.

"I didn't even know you'd noticed me." I gasped when he pulled away, kissing him before he could answer. Somehow we'd ended up on the bed; in an instant I had flipped us around, leaving me straddling him. I smirked down at his mild surprise before ripping his shirt, making him glare playfully at me before I bit into his shoulder. Kols curse almost made me laugh before I was caught up in the taste of him, barely even aware as the rest of our clothing was gone.

"Of course I did, love, I was just a bit preoccupied at the moment." I giggled when his words came out with a bit of a gasp, both of us stiffening when our blood bond finally reconnected, opening a floodgate of sensations and emotions as he pressed me back down into the sheets.

"I love you." He whispered the words in my ear before taking me, knowing it drove me into a bit of a frenzy; needless to say, when we'd finally gotten our fill of one another, the room was left a mess of ripped clothes and bloody sheets. I would have been amused if I wasn't riding out a high of blood and pleasure, but I wasn't quite able to manage anything except the feeling of wholeness that was consuming me.

"I love you too." I murmured, now nestled into his side and tracing patterns into his chest. Similarly, his fingers were running through my hair. It felt good to be with him again, and not for the first time I wondered how I managed to survive anywhere but at his side. This was where I belonged – where I needed to be, always and forever.


End file.
